Ms C Diamond,

Mrs K Holliday, Mrs R Mullan, Mrs J Summers, Mrs J Williams

Members are invited to submit nominations for candidates to the offices of President, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee for the coming year. Existing Committee Members need not be re-nominated. Another member subject to the consent of the nominee can nominate any member who has been in membership of the club for at least one year. The proposer and seconder must both have been in membership of the club for at least one year. The Secretary must receive these nominations together with the names of the proposer and seconder by 30th January 2015 at the latest, in a sealed envelope marked NOMINATION and containing no other matter. It is important that the nominee’s consent be obtained before submitting a nomination.

Members are also invited to submit items for inclusion on the Agenda; and must be received by the Secretary by 30th January 2015 at the latest.

No business shall be transacted at the Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda with the exception of routine matters or those in the opinion of the chairperson of the meeting are urgent.

To reduce postage costs the Committee would like to be able to distribute club material to Members via email. To this end we are in the process of making a database of the emails we have on file. If you have not given us your email address and would like to receive club material by this route please send details to :

All claims must be received by 1st March 2015 and the trophies will be presented at the Championship Show on Saturday 5th April 2015.

JUDGING LIST

The Club’s Judging List is updated yearly. Please apply to the Club Secretary for an application form to be considered for the list.

Any amendments for previously submitted applications should be sent to the Secretary for consideration and amendment if appropriate.

WEBSITE

Our website contains a great deal of information on the breed covering health issues, general points, show results, Club rules, Code of Ethics etc. We have links to other breed clubs and the Kennel Club.

Advertisements can be placed on the website for the cost of £20 for one year.

With the help of Amanda and Nick this stall has proved to be successful for a few years now, and is usually at our Open show. All donations of books relating to all aspects of dog ownership and good quality dog memorabilia, are gratefully received. This is an ideal opportunity to recycle books and possibly obtain that “little gem” you have been searching for!

Gallery

The Rottweiler breed is represented every year at the Discover Dogs area at both the Crufts Show in March at the NEC Birmingham, and again at Earls Court in November, very kindly organised and arranged by Ann Evans Wallett - Rottweilers … Continue reading →

When you get your puppy home, remember that everything in the big world will be quite strange to him and that he has probably never seen anything quite like it before. He will have left his mother and littermates for the first time and will be feeling very bewildered. Gentle sympathetic and correct handling will enable him to adjust to his new situation with minimum stress, but this requires time and patience. Try to arrange to collect him from his breeder early in the day to allow him time to settle in before nightfall.

Make sure your breeder gives you information about feeding your puppy up to and including adulthood. Most breeders give a small amount of the food that the puppy has been reared on, to enable any changeover of diet to be gradual so as not to cause stomach upsets. At 8 weeks, the age most puppies go to their new homes, the puppy should be on no less than 4 meals per day, but some breeders feed 5.

The first night will probably be noisy. A good tip is to leave a radio on or a loud ticking clock. If you give in and take the puppy up to bed, every night will be the same. Also be prepared that he will not be able to go all night without relieving himself.

Clean in the house

Rottweilers learn very quickly to be clean in the house. Puppies should not be scolded minutes after making a mess on the floor – their memories are short and limited to events which occurred seconds before. For toilet training to be effective the puppy should be caught in the act and immediately put outside in the same spot each time, if possible where there is bare earth or grass, and it is important you go out with him and when he does a toilet – praise the puppy lavishly! Eventually the puppy will go to the door and whine to go out. We cannot stress too strongly that the puppy’s nose should NEVER EVER be rubbed in any mess he has made. A puppy should be frequently put outside in the same place each time and always first thing in the morning, after sleep, after food and after play.

Children

Rottweilers are generally extremely good with children, but it is emphasized that children MUST be taught how to treat a new puppy. They should NOT be permitted to tease, to scold or to punish him and his feeding should be done by an adult. Although young children start with the best intentions in the world, they tend to neglect the rather mundane everyday requirements. Some breeders will not sell a pup to anyone with children under 10.

IT MUST BE STRESSED STRONGLY THAT NO BABY OR CHILD SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE WITH ANY DOG – THEY MUST BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES.

Meeting the people

Many people think that to become good ‘protectors’ of persons and property, puppies and young dogs should be prevented from meeting strangers, being patted by people other than their owners, and seeing anything of the outside world. THIS IS QUITE WRONG; the only result of keeping a puppy in seclusion is to make it shy and wary. It is very necessary to take your puppy about with you as much as possible so that he may become used to meeting strangers, hearing loud noises and seeing unusual things. All these experiences build up his confidence so that he grows up to take everything in his stride. A bold, alert and confident dog always attracts attention and is a pleasure to own.

Mouthing

Something which happens quite naturally and often worries new owners, is ‘mouthing’. This is NORMAL behaviour. When a pup is with his littermates they ‘play bite’ with each other quite hard. When your pup comes to your home your hands and arms etc. are to him the same as his littermates. Until taught otherwise he will exert the same pressure. If pup grabs a hand or arm those teeth are like sharp needles. DO NOT snatch your hand or arm away quickly. Let pup know he is hurting, say ‘Ouch, that hurts’ or ‘Gently, gently,’ or similar words, always use the same ones. Lift the upper and lower jaw gently and take away your hand or arm. Next time do the same and over a period of time the pressure lessens. This needs kindness and patience, some take longer than others. Do not get pup excited or let children play with him unsupervised. NEVER USE HARSH METHODS. Get advice and help if you need it.

Remember it is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE for an adult dog to mouth hands, arms or any part of clothing; so please ensure it does not happen. It must also be remembered that when a puppy is teething, that is losing his ‘baby’ teeth and the permanent teeth are coming through, his gums will be sore, and this also causes him to mouth and chew objects. This behaviour can recur at around 9 months of age when the permanent teeth are settling into the jaw.

Other animals

Do not allow puppies to chase cats, chickens, squirrels or other animals as once formed it is a habit which is difficult to break.

Exercise

Pup will get all the exercise he needs on his own, toddling about and playing in the garden. Do not let children chase him or let adult dogs fly around with him. Injuries can result. NO enforced walks for him. Five or six months is quite early enough to start a gentle walk on a lead, and gradually increase the distance. Bones don’t harden until well over a year or later so care must be taken. No chasing up and down stairs and jumping up into backs of cars.

Gardens

Gardens are lovely, but beware some plants are poisonous, laburnum seeds, foxgloves, rhubarb leaves to name a few. And slug bait can be lethal. Take care. Also pups are fond of picking up stones, be watchful. It is imperative that you do NOT leave pup alone with a collar on. Some dogs have died by getting caught up on branches of shrubs etc., and even on the teeth of another dog in the household. Tragic and avoidable!! Be warned.

Training

Take your pup to a training class, some breeders insist on this in their contract. This will get him used to other dogs and situations. Many clubs run puppy classes which they can attend once their inoculations are completed. These courses run for varying periods of about 8 to 12 weeks, and are invaluable for socialising and accustoming pups to other dogs in a controlled environment. Visit a club or clubs before enrolling and avoid any where handling is rough. Training classes organised by the Kennel Club run the Good Citizen Dog Scheme and young puppies are always welcome. Make sure that the club has trainers experienced with Rottweilers, not all are, so ask around before you go.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we would like to stress that it is YOU who make the dog what he is – obedient/disobedient, a pleasure to own/or otherwise. It is easy to prevent bad habits forming, but far more difficult to eradicate them once they have been formed. Start your pup’s training in manners once you get him, always be consistent in your behaviour towards him and in the commands you give. NEVER FORGET TO PRAISE HIM when he has been good – so many omit to do this. Be kind but firm and you will have a dog of which to be proud. Always remember that a dog, any dog, is not good at knowing WHAT to do – only what it is ALLOWED to do.

If any problems arise your reputable breeder will offer advice or give you names of people to contact.

THE ROTTWEILER CLUB has many experienced breeders and owners who will only be too pleased to help in any way possible.

This is a wonderful breed and deserves owners who appreciate it.

PUPPY DEVELOPMENT Or CRITICAL LEARNING PERIODS

All dogs as they develop physically and mentally go through what is termed as critical learning periods. It is during these periods that training and socialisation can be incorporated to ensure that you end up with a happy balanced dog.

0 to 7 WeeksNeonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialisation

It is important for your puppy to remain with his mother and siblings during this time as it is these that will teach him his first social skills, play and bite inhibition. Also the mother begins to teach him not to toilet in the bed area. It is also when he will first learn to accept discipline.

A good breeder will also during this time introduce your puppy to new sounds, smells and human contact.

7 to 16 WeeksHuman Socialisation Period

Although he will have a short attention span, it is during this time that your puppy will experience his most rapid learning and what is taught in this period will remain with him for life.

It is therefore the most vital time to introduce him to different environments and people and to make sure that he has plenty of positive experiences. Even though he will not have received his final vaccinations until usually around twelve weeks, it is still essential that he is taken out to meet things. If necessary carry him to different places in your arms and allow people to handle and make a fuss of him. Introduce him to the sounds of busy roads and every day household noises.

During the human socialisation period, your puppy will also experience his first fear period. It is important when socialising your puppy, to make sure that he does not suffer any frightening or painful experiences as this will stay with him for the rest of his life. Should he display any signs of fear or stress during this time, the best thing is to remove him quietly from what is scaring him. Do not make a big fuss as to him this will look as though you are reinforcing his fears and he will then be more likely to remember it.

Towards the end of this period your puppy will begin losing his baby teeth and mouthing family members can be a problem. Bite inhibition will have been started by the mother, but needs to be carried on by the rest of the family. Never smack your puppy for mouthing, just calmly say either “no” or “ouch” and walk away from him and if he persists then quietly put him in his crate for a few minutes to calm down. He will also begin to test his position within the family and it is vital at this time that the rules have been put in place and all the family is being consistent with instigating them. For example, it is no good you not allowing your puppy on the settee when another family member then calls him up for a cuddle. It is said that what is seen at sixteen weeks, without any training, is more or less what your dog will be like in his adult life. This is why training at this age is vital, so that any unwanted behaviour can be prevented.

It is important to continue to play with him and handle him on a daily basis, but games like tug of war or wrestling should be avoided. He may see tug of war as a game of dominance, especially if he wins and also with him losing his teeth, he may see playing with you as a painful experience and be reluctant to do so. ‘Play fighting’ or wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppy’s strength grows, he is going to want to ‘play fight’ to see who is the stronger, and even if you win he will learn that this type of play is acceptable – but it is not, at any time. He will not know the difference between wrestling with you or a much younger member of the family. Having an adult Rottweiler leaping on anyone for a rough and tumble is definitely a no-no.

4 to 8 MonthsPlay Instinct Period. Flight Instinct Period

It is during this time that your dog could show a reluctance to please you and you may well see him test his limits more and more. You need to remain firm, fair and above all consistent in your training methods. The adolescent Rottweiler is no different to the average teenage child and as long as the rules are clear to him, then he will accept them with the minimum of fuss.

6 to 14 MonthsSecond Fear Imprint Period

This period is where your dog could show fear of something new or even something he is familiar with. If he does act like this, the best thing is to play the whole situation down. Distract him from the object of his fear as best you can, or even better remove him from it. Again it is important not to reassure your dog as this will only reinforce his anxiety. Positive training during this period usually helps to boost his confidence.

1 to 4 YearsMaturity Period

As your dog develops and matures, so his hormones can play havoc with his temperament. This combined with him testing his size and strength could lead to him showing aggression towards other dogs as well as him testing you. It is vital at this stage that you remain firm but fair with him. As long as you continue with the training, then you will be able to see him through this difficult period.

Sunday 6th December 2015 – Open Show with Temperament Assessment

JUDGE: tba

To enter online – go to this link:

Exit M20 – junction 5 – turn RIGHT onto A20 instead of turning left into Maidstone town centre. The Community Centre is a couple of miles from junction. Pass by Preston Hall Hospital on your right, Homebase on your left at traffic lights. At end of cycle lane on left, at lights, turn LEFT where signposted Communty Centre/Research Station.